Friction draft-gear.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

In Wezwm J. H. CARDWELL.

rmcnoN DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1915.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

n I. R.V CARDWELI.. Fmcnora DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. |9I5.

L, mama @an 16,1917

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

-of which the following is a specification,

JAMES E. CAEDWELL, OF CHICAGG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TG Union nnar'r enna COMPANY, A CORERTION 0F ILLINOIS.

FBICTON DRAFT-GEAR.

intense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (let. 16, 1217..

Application filed September 25, 1815. Serial No. 52,690.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns It. CARDWELL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction Draft-Gears, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to friction draft gear and more particularly to those having the friction elements confined by spring pressure which is exerted in a direction transverse to the line of draft. The object of the invention is to provide a friction draft gear of great efficiency and having a wide range of lrelative movement between the followers in proportion to the amount of linear compression of the spring.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a central plan sectional view of a draft gear embodying the features of improvement provided by the invention and showing some of the associated part-s of the underframe of a cary partly in section and partly' in plan,

Fig. 2 is a side View of the friction draft gear mechanism partly in section on the' plane indicated by the line 2-2 on Fig. 1, a detail of one of the center sills of the car being also shown inside elevation, and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views showing some of the individual parts of the draft gear mechanism. Y

The center sills of a car are indicated at 10, 10, and the front and rear draft lugs at 11, 11 and 12, 12, respectively. The draft gear yoke is shown at 13 and a. detail of the coupler at 14. In conformity with the usual practice in the mounting of draft gear of the type to which the invention relates, the two center sills 10, 10, are each provided with a slotted opening 15, for'the reception. of a transverse spring bolt 16. This bolt carries the draft gear springs 17, 17, and the spring followers 18, 18, of well known construction.

The front and rear followers for engaging the draft lugs 11, 11, and 12, 12, of the car, arerepresented at 19 and 20. Each of these followers is preferably of box-like construction with its inner end open and its two side walls notched, as at 21, Fig. 2, in line lowers to close over with the spring bolt 16, to permit the folthe bolt when the gear is compressed. The end wall of eachof the followers 19, 20, is shod upon the inside with a friction block 22, having oppositely inclined beveled faces 23 and 24.

The draft gear further comprises a pair of side plates 25, 26, each mounted on the spring bolt 16 next within one of the spring followers 18. Each has its two ends extended into the chambers of the box-like main followers 19, 20, and each side plate is een trally provided with an inwardly projecting portion 27 having oppositely inclined beveled faces 28 and 29. .As shown, each of the side plates 25, 26, is of such length and width that its two ends contact with the end walls of the main followers 19, 20, and its rear face contacts with the adjacent side walls of the two `followers at the same time,

that the inner ends of these followers come into contact during the closing of the gear. The impact of closing is accordingly distributed among several contacting parts.

Intermediate wedge members 30, 31 andv 32, are located between the fric ion shoe 22 at each end andthe adjacent beveled sur,- faces 28, 28 or 29, 29, of the inwardly projecting portions 27 of the two side' plates 25, 26. The wedge members 30 and 31, at each end, are preferably of triangular shape and each slides upon the inside face of the corresponding end portions of one of the side plates 25, 26, and upon the adjacent beveled face 23 or 24, of the corresponding friction shoe 22. Each of the wedge members32, on the other hand, preferably extends across the center line of the gear in one ieee and has a tapering head, 33, 34, at each side. The two beveled surfaces of each of the heads 33, 34, of each of the wedge members 32, are accordingly in sliding contact with the third face of one of the triangular wedge.

ymembers 30 or 31, and with the adjacent beveled face 28 or 29, of the inwardly projecting portion 27 of the adjacent side plate 25 or 26.

Preferably the beveled contacting surfaces of the several friction elements are all so inclined that each makes only an aacute angle `with a line extending transversely through the `gear. As shown, this angler of inclination is so small that direct longitudinal pressure of one of the wedges, as 32, against the contacting elements, as 27, would not serve to effect a relative lateralmovenient netween these parts. Under these circumstances, only a combined action of the two oppositely inclined faces of the friction elements, as 30 and 3l, against the coperating parts, as'22 and 32, is suiiicient to accomplish relative lateral movement and an effective frictional resistance lto the movement is provided. On the other hand, the return movement of the parts, effected by pressureof the springs 17, 17upon release of the gear, is facilitated as-*it is accomplished-'by inward movement f the gradually-tap ring members, 30,/ 31 and 27. Furthermore, the large number of relatively movable friction elements provides a wide range of movement between the front and rear followers 19, 20, in proportion to the combined outward movement of side. plates, a plurality `wedges engaging each of the sideplates, an outwardly' facing wedge between each two side, and

adjacent inwardly facing wedges at each a -wedge element fixed with-reference to each of the followers and engagin one of the first named wedges at both sides." 2. In a draft gear, in combination, a pair of followers, a' pair of outwardly movable plates, springs opposing such outward movement, a plurality of pairs of laterally movable mwardly facing triangular v wedges located between the followers bearing outwardly on the plates, the'wedges of each pair having Itheir axes upon a common transverse line, and outwardly facing wedges between the corresponding inwardly facing wedges of each two adjacent pairs.

3. In a draft gear, in combination, a pair -of followers, two pairs of'laterally movable inwardly facing wedges located between the followers, the wedges of each pair having their axes upon a common transverse line, a double ended transverse wedge element located between the two pairs of inwardly facing wedges with each of its ends engaging a wedge of both pairs,

wedge element fixed with reference to each copies ot this patent may be obtained for ve centl each,

` wardly facing with the other and with the side plates 25 and of inwardly facing z movement. of the plates,

-one of the plates, a

and an additional of the followers and' engaging' both of the Wedges of the adjacent pair.

a dra gear, in combination, a pair of followers, a pair of laterally movable side plates, springs resisting outward movement of the side plates, three pairs of in-v wedges arrangedin a longitudinal series between the followers, the wedges of each pair having their axes upon a common transverse line, the wedges of the two end pairs being each in sliding engagement with the corresponding side plate and each of the wedgesv of the intermediate pair being xed with reference to one of the side plates, a double ended transverse wedge element located between each two adjacent pairs of inwardly facing wedges with each offits ends engaging a wedge of both said pairs, and an additional wedge element fixed with reference to each of the followers and engaging both of the wedges of the adjacent pair.

5.' In a draft gear, in combination, a pair of followerswa pair of outwardly movable plates having inner surfaces parallel with the longitudinal axis of the gear, springs opposing the outward movement of the plates, triangular wedge-blocks slidably engaging such surfaces and arranged in transversely alined pairs, a pair of double faced Wedge elements one supported by each follower and each engaging faces of a pair of the triangular blocks, and wedge elements iligaling the third faces of the triangular 6.. In a draft gear, in combination, a pair of followers, a pair of longitudinally dis-v posed outwardly movable plates having inner surfaces parallel with the axis of the gear and Veach having an inwardly projecting double-faced -wedging boss at its vertical median line, springs opposing the outward two pairs of transversely `alined triangular wedge-blocks each block being seated on the inner surfacel of wedge-blocks each seated followers and engaging a blocks,

against onepf'the pair of triangular,

pair of double-faced and a pair of transversely disposed blocks having double wedging faces at each end, each of such blocks being located beJ tweeliS the boss and a' pair of the triangular bloc Y JAMES R. CARDWELL. by addressing; the commissioner 'ot Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

